Aspire Scholarships
act-new-zealand
Fri Sep 18 2009 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Aspire Scholarships
Friday, 18 September 2009, 2:41 pm
Press Release: ACT New Zealand
Aspire Scholarships
Hon Heather Roy, ACT Deputy Leader
Friday, September 18 2009
When Vodafone Wellington Lions No8 Victor Vito runs on to the field to take on Waikato tonight he will be there because of years of hard work, dedication and the opportunities provided by the scholarship he received to attend Wellington's Scots College as a teenager.
On Wednesday Victor joined me at Parliament to open applications for the Government's new Aspire Scholarships, which will enable students from low-income homes to attend an independent school they otherwise would not have been able to afford.
Victor spoke of the opportunities provided by his scholarship:
"I was able to formulate some great ideas about where I wanted to go - things I'd never really thought about - and really set myself some academic goals ... rugby was a great passion within my life at the time and Scots College has really helped me to fulfil those dreams."
Victor has gone on to become one of the country's rising young sport stars and, on top of these commitments, is also completing a Bachelor of Arts and will graduate in 2010.
It is opportunities like the one Victor received that the Government is providing for other young people through the Aspire scholarships - 150 of which are available for the 2010 academic year with 50 to be awarded at each of the Year 9, 10 and 11 levels.
The total number of scholarships will increase to 200 in 2011, and 250 in 2012, and will fund recipients' study for the entire time that they are at the school - providing up to $15,000 per year for school fees and an annual allowance of $1,500 to cover the cost of such school-related costs as uniforms and school trips.
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Students can apply for a scholarship by downloading an application form from the Ministry of Education website.
Applications must be received by October 14 for the first ballot and 28 October for the second.
To be eligible to apply, students must:
* Apply by October 14 or October 28, 2009.
* Come from a household that has an annual income of less than $65,000 and a net worth of less than $150,000.
* Have a supporting letter from their current school principal.
* Have a supporting letter from another referee - such as a family friend or church member.
To ensure fairness, all eligible applications will be placed into a randomly-selected ballot - two of which will be held this year: one after the first close-off date of October 14, and the second after the final close-off date of October 28. Successful applicants can then enrol at the independent school of their choice.
During the 2008 election both ACT and National campaigned on greater choice in education and recognise that parents know what sort of education model best suits their children's needs - whether that is through a State, Integrated or Independent school.
These scholarships are no reflection on State or Integrated schools and do not imply that the Government views private schools as better or worse than public and Integrated schools. In fact, I would like to be able to give every child a scholarship to use at any school they choose - a key aspect of ACT's education manifesto - but that simply is not possible at present.
There is no such thing as a ‘one size fits all' education model to suit every child because every child is different. While parents should be able to choose the type of education that will best suit their children's needs and learning style, associated costs mean that private schooling is not an option for some families.
Aspire Scholarships are about enhancing the choice available to these families. They are about providing low-income families with a wider range of opportunities - opportunities that have the ability to change lives of young people like Victor:
"I truly believe that if it wasn't for this bringing me into the college at an early stage and helping me to set and realise my goals, I definitely wouldn't be where I am today. I really hope Aspire Scholarships take off because that opportunity really does provide a great future for so many of our kids who otherwise would not have that chance."
For more information on the aspire scholarships, visit www.minedu.govt.nz/Aspire. Alternatively, email Aspire.Scholarship@minedu.govt.nz or phone (04) 463 8262.
Lest We Forget - Battle of Britain Day (September 15 1940)
While the Battle of Britain lasted throughout the summer of 1940, one day was chosen - for good reason - as the date to commemorate one of the most important battles in history.
On September 15 1940, 175 German pilots and air crew were killed or captured over Britain for the loss of only 12 Allied pilots.
The German leadership knew those sort of relative losses were unsustainable and would get worse. Only a week earlier they had made the fateful decision to concentrate the bulk of their efforts on bombing London.
Although the ‘London Blitz' lasted another year, causing considerable damage and loss of life, it did not cause any strategic damage and the Great City learned quickly how to adjust and endure. Meanwhile, RAF Fighter Command grew in strength and confidence and Hitler realised it was not possible to invade from the sea having lost control of the air.
Of the 1,400 credited as ‘Battle of Britain Pilots' over half were, not surprisingly, British defending their homeland. The Polish made up the largest group of non-British pilots, which would seem fitting as Britain had originally gone to war over Poland. The second largest non-British group were 170 New Zealanders - whose number included Air Marshal Keith Park, the Commander of No11 Fighter Group, whose 30 squadrons protected the South of England during the battle and secured the decisive ‘victory' in September.
ENDS
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